Once upon a Time in a Certain Kingdom
by IvyStory
Summary: Once upon a time in a far away kingdom, a prince in the palace decided to hold a certain Grand Ball in the hope to find his soul mate! Therefore, came a certain young lady who eventually caught the prince's eyes... but with a certain young man by her side. [Based on Cinderella story with major change]. RokuShiVani


Once upon a time in a far away kingdom, there lied an enamored castle with its charming design and brilliant white color skin. Kingdom Hearts was what the kingdom usually referred as. One day in the morning, with the usual early and lively life that the kingdom had, tho back to the castle—a prince with a raven color hair was in fact looking for a way out of his own problem. The prince was named as— Vanitas.

"But Master, myself as your personal counselor, indeed fancy King Eraqus' idea about your marriage!" A middle-age man with a gold-colored for his eyes, and a navy blue suit with a red scarf circled his neck, was trying hard to catch his Master inside the castle's hallway as wrinkles were desperately tried to be hidden for his hard work to convince his Master. "You're 24 years old already! This Kingdom _needs_ a successor!"

Alas, being followed for more-than ten minutes, the only Prince of Kingdom Hearts faced his counselor with two eyebrows met each others. "I heard that _thousand _of times, Braig! But yet you _know_ that I won't live my live with an engagement!" the Prince said in a high and serious tone.

"But then, how shall we help you?" questioned the man, yet in an unwavering voice. The prince answered nothing, as he began to walk forward again. "Wait a minute…" mumbled the counselor.

"Master, how about—a Grand Ball?"

The prince heard the idea, he—then – turned his head to his personal counselor in a question look. "A Grand Ball?" as he repeated the word.

* * *

><p>On the same day, began in a yet exact early morning. A village within Kingdom Hearts, where most of the middle to high class residents resided, there lied a big yet looked simple and homey house where four women lived inside. The family's known as Fair family, despite its homey look—there was only a daughter and the second wife with her two daughters of the late Zack Fair's, the Man in the house.<p>

Indeed, the only daughter of the family was now left alone as a result of her original parent's death. But why, it's nonsense for her to keep mourning of her parent's death… Zack and Aerith Fair, she knew that her parents would always cheer her up from _above_. Xion Fair, a 21 years old woman, would always believe that.

"Xion, O' Xion! Where the heck is my red dress?!" asked a red haired young woman in a dramatic tone. Such a manner of her to speak as such to her step sister. The woman searched around her teak-wooden closet, lots of red dresses inside but none was the one she's looking for.

Arriving in her step sister's room, the ravenette with two blue orbs, Xion, answered "Which of the red dress again, Kairi?"

"Oh, c'mon! The one with a heart-shaped pearl on the chest and jewels around its collar!" still messing up with her own closet, the older sister answered back.

The ravenette then snapped, she knew about the dress that her sister was talking about! After all it was worn by her other step sister not too long ago…! "In that case, you should a—" alas, hadn't even said the name—her _other_ step sister, who was actually sitting on her and Kairi's King size bed with laces on its every sides, glared and gave her a silent hiss. _Big hiss_.

Xion flinched a bit, it's a sign from her younger step sister that she's not supposed to tell Kairi about—"that you should ask Namine about your dress."

As what Xion had expected, the woman with a blonde color hair, Namine—opened her eyes in shock. It seemed the blonde hadn't expected the ravenette to tell the truth, after all! But why—it's a different habit came from Namine.

"Namine, you jerk!" the red haired woman instantly turned her face to her young sister, "Give. Me. Back. My. DRESS!"

Then again, a fuss like that happened every time at their house. It's always about the two of her step sisters arguing around, or teaming up to bully her. Xion sighed, now the fuss had begun, her step mother would totally come to check on them.

"Now now, what's this all about?" Xion, who had begun to walk outside the room, stopped her step once her step mother's voice echoed. On the other hand, Kairi still insisted on pulling Namine's hair, while Namine just tried to defend herself.

The step mother, a woman with a young and elegant look, short-styled blue hair only small part touching her shoulder, and still wearing a night gown, entered her daughters' room. She walked passed Xion, treating her like air.

"Don't do that, Kairi. Mother's sure Namine has a reason." She pulled apart Kairi's hand from Namine's hair. "Now, what is it?" she turned her face to Namine, wanting an explanation.

"If it's not because of her…" The blonde began, "I wouldn't be found out!"

Then again, without even looking—Xion knew to whom those words were pointed at. She sighed. _"This will be a long day… I guess."_

* * *

><p>It's already noon, the ravenette in Fair family only half-way finished doing the laundry of her family's at the back yard of their house. After the earlier incident, her step mother didn't say anything—nor like she usually did. But she knew she had to stay until Namine and Kairi stopped arguing, or else she'd get scolded from her step sisters for leaving just as she pleased.<p>

"_I wonder if any other interesting stuff will happen…"_ Xion wondered as she did her laundry.

The weather was so nice, she would usually go to the town to go to the market with her step mother at such a time. Sometimes it was only once a week, or maybe not at all for a month. She didn't get much freedom to leave her room, let alone wandering around the village.

The idea of it must sound so… nuts, especially since her sisters were free to go outside anytime they wanted (although sometimes got scolded for arriving home too late), but since it's her responsible to take care of the house, she too didn't have much free time to take care of anything else.

"_Maybe if he was here…"_

"Boo!"

By a sudden breath right near to the ravenette's ear, she screamed. Her body tensed up, but right after she found out just who it was who did the joke, she chuckled. "Roxas!"

A blond 22-years old man with a spiky styled hair, waved his hand cheerfully to his best friend. He laughed by how the ravenette reacted to his joke. "Noon', Xion!"

Xion kept doing her laundry, as soon as possible she wanted to finish it. How could you not when it'd been weeks since you last met your best friend? "How's ranch?" she started the conversation.

"Doing great! It's better than several weeks ago." The spiky blond man leaned to the nearest tree, he crossed his arms as he watched his best friend doing her job. "Sorry for leaving you, Xi…"

The woman just chuckled, "Wait for a moment, please."

"Need a help?" the man stood up in a proper way again and walked closer slowly.

Though, the ravenette shook her head several times. "No, no! Thank you, but I'm doing fine." She smiled. "How's Uncle Cloud?"

The man raised his eyebrow, "Yea, great too. He told me to say hello to you, now that you mention it…" the two of them laughed, Xion knew just how much her best friend could forget things sometimes. "Forget about me, how about you? Any… great stuff happened, maybe?"

Only few more clothes and Xion would be finished with her laundry, "The birds." Finished with her job, she cleaned up the buckets, "Several eggs had hatched."

The man's eyes widen, "Are you serious?! That's awesome!" he cheered, "Can I—"

"_Xion—!_" Roxas' words were cut by a call from inside the house, understanding the situation, Roxas nodded to his best friend—"Somebody's waiting, huh." He said in a flat tone.

"I'll be back." Xion said, "and I'll show you the nest, promise!" as the raven haired woman entered her house, Roxas left alone at the back yard of his best friend's house.

"Well…" he mumbled to none but himself, "Better to get some ice creams…"

* * *

><p>"Hurry, Slowpoke! Someone's waiting on the door!" said a red haired woman who was busy with her make up and purse. By the look of it, Xion knew that her sister was going outside with her boyfriend again. On the other side, Namine, her other step sister, was drawing something on her sketch book.<p>

"Coming!" Xion said to the knocking on the front door.

The ravenette then found a middle-age man, wearing a royal palace's mailman uniform. It'd been a long time since someone from the castle was sent to the village, even coming to her house! "May I help you, Sir?" asked the ravenette. Xion then noticed that there was a horse-drawn carriage behind, where a big bag full of royal-signed envelopes was seated.

"An urgent message from the palace, Madam. Under the name of King Eraqus." Said the mailman as he bowed after giving the woman a white envelope with a royal sign. The woman then said a gratitude word and closed the door. She wondered what the urgent message was.

"Who was it?" asked the blond woman without looking away from her sketch book.

The ravenette looked at the envelope for a little more, no word on the front letter. She had to open the message to know what it was about. "An urgent message from the palace…" she said.

"Read it." Surprised, it was her step mother who told her to do so. Just how important might this letter be? Or so Xion thought. The ravenette cleared her throat before she opened the envelope.

"_To all eligible ladies of the house…_"

* * *

><p><strong>TN : Based on Cinderella story at some point, with Major changes.** **I do not own Kingdom Hearts / Disney / Cinderella! **Another RokuShiVani, I hope you'd like this story. ^ ^ Note to all readers who eager to know the pairings, I have not yet decided most of them—_especially with whom Xion will end up with._

Also, forgive me to turn KH girls into bad fellas! I will not make them to be a jerk, that's for sure! I wish to see your opinions, thanks!


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